The Styrian family business Weitzer Parkett looks back on 190 years of company history and embodies a transformation that is symptomatic of the entire Central European timber industry: from mechanical round wood processing in the sawmill to high-precision parquet manufacturing to supplies for the automotive industry.
The company, founded in 1835 in Weiz, started as a classic sawmill for sawn timber production. The transition to parquet production occurred gradually through investments in wood drying technology and precision wood processing machinery. Diversification into automotive supply complemented the portfolio with technical wood components for interior fittings – a segment that demands the highest dimensional accuracy and surface quality.
The strategic shift from pure sawn timber business to value-added products shows the typical development of European sawmills: while production of construction timber still dominated in the 1950s, margins increasingly shifted towards value-added products such as parquet, veneers, and technical wood parts. The automotive industry demands tolerances in the tenth-of-a-millimeter range as well as surface finishes that go beyond classic parquet standards.
Currently, however, the company is also dealing with the challenges of a saturated parquet market. Like other Austrian manufacturers, Weitzer has had to make personnel adjustments in recent years, as has been reported. The industry is under pressure from declining construction activity and rising energy costs for the energy-intensive drying and surface treatment.
The 190-year company history nonetheless demonstrates the adaptability of the family business: from manual saws to steam-powered gang saws to CNC-controlled machining centers, production technology has changed radically. The raw material base has also shifted – while regional oak and beech once dominated, today tropical hardwoods and technically modified woods are used.
For the parquet industry as a whole, Weitzer is exemplary of the trend towards premium positioning: standard products are giving way to individual surface treatments and special formats. Automotive supply opens up new sales markets beyond the volatile construction business – a strategic move that other wood processors such as Pollmeier have also made with technical wood products for industrial applications.
